Flawless
by DetectiveMinerva
Summary: Though she has been a lowly charwoman for most of her life, Ada Harris gets the fairy tale ending she's been dreaming of when she gets her beautiful Dior dress - and finds a very special love in the Marquis de Chassagne, who finds no flaw in her. A "Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris" tale!


Reuploaded! I wrote this story based on the events of _Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris, _one of Angela Lansbury's best movies. Ada Harris is such a sweet woman and so deserving of the happiness that comes her way, and she has such incredible chemistry with Hippo, the Marquis de Chassagne. The movie is so like a fairy tale, and I wanted to give Ada her own happily ever after in this "deleted scene."

For everyone who has ever been told they were worthless - don't believe them for a minute. You are beautiful, valued, and loved far more than you could ever know.

* * *

Every little girl dreamed of becoming a princess. Of wearing a beautiful gown, dancing with a handsome prince, and living happily ever after. Ada Harris had cherished that dream since she was a little thing, but who knew it would finally come true in her golden years!

It really was like Cinderella. Having worked as a London charwoman nearly all her life, Ada was no stranger to dust, grime, and cinders. When she saw Lady Dant's beautiful Dior gowns that lovely day three years ago, she'd vowed to someday own one of her own – something to make her feel like the princess she'd once dreamed of being. But, every Cinderella story had a wicked stepmother or the like, and Ada had the like: Monsieur Armand, director of the House of Dior. After all Ada's hard work and her trip to Paris to buy her dress, Armand had nearly torn her dream to shreds, refusing her the gorgeous pink gown her friends had worked so hard on. Devastated, Ada had wondered where her fairy godmother was... and who would have guessed it would be a fairy godfather who came to the rescue?

Yes, her dear friend Hippo, the Marquis de Chassagne, had worked his magic, deposing Armand and making sure she got her beloved gown... and that she had a chance to wear it. Hippo and Madame Colbert, the new director of the House of Dior, arranged for a party in her honor, to thank her for all she had done for them: for playing matchmaker between Natasha and Andre, ensuring that Madame Colbert's late husband was honored as a war hero, and for reuniting Hippo with his daughter and granddaughter.

Now, standing among her newfound friends at the party, Ada truly felt like Cinderella at the ball. Her gown glowed in the candlelight and, to her delight, made her figure look like that of a young girl. Although, the plunging neckline had made modest Ada blush when she first put it on; not even her wedding dress had shown off her bosom! Thankfully, a pink tulle fichu hid most of her cleavage, while a matching tulle wrap concealed her bare arms. Madame Colbert had arranged her hair, and Natasha had painted on her makeup, as well as gifted her with a stunning set of costume diamonds.

To Ada, though, the jewels were nowhere near as precious as her gift from Hippo. Knowing her love for flowers, the dear man had presented her with a lovely white rose. He then proposed a toast to her, using her real title, Mrs. Harris, for the first time. As Ada held the rose to her nose, inhaling its sweet scent, she noticed Hippo smiling at her, his dark eyes aglow. He really was a handsome chap, his hair gleaming like the silver she polished, and brown eyes warmer than sweet chocolate. And his smile... when he smiled at her like that, Ada felt butterflies tickle her stomach, like nothing she'd felt since her Reg was alive. He was the first person in Paris to treat her with respect; to see the woman inside the maid. Hippo was handsome for sure, but his heart, Ada realized, was twice as lovely.

Madame Colbert signaled for a record to be played, and the Waltz of the Flowers began to float out over the crowd. Ada nearly laughed. There had been a few here in Paris who had thought of her as an uncultured Cockney guttersnipe, no doubt, but her spare time wasn't solely devoted to beer and the football pool. No, every Christmas, Ada and her friend Vi attended the Royal Ballet's performance of _The Nutcracker, _their big treat for the Yuletide season. Ada knew old Tchaikovsky's music by heart, and she found herself humming along, gently swaying with the tune. So lost was she in the music that she almost didn't hear Hippo clearing his throat. Ada opened her eyes to behold him standing even closer to her, offering her his hand. "My dear Mrs. Harris," he said, "may I have the honor of this dance?"

Ada almost couldn't speak. He, the Marquis de Chassagne, was asking her to dance? No one had asked her to dance since Reg passed on, and certainly never a man of Hippo's rank. In England, this was unheard of – an aristocrat dancing with a charwoman. The only time that ever happened was at a servant's ball, never at a formal party like this. Was it possible that Hippo could not only be her fairy godfather, but her prince as well? There was only one way to find out. "Yes! Of course, 'Ippo!" Ada beamed her brightest smile as she accepted his hand, and allowed him to escort her onto the dance floor. He settled his right hand upon her waist, and the butterflies fluttered in her stomach again. Holding on to his shoulder and clasping his left hand in her right, Ada let him sweep her across the floor in the waltz, slowly, quickly, whirling around. During one particular crescendo in the music, Hippo held her by the waist and lifted her into the air, making her roar with laughter. "Crikey!" she giggled, as they settled back into the rhythm of the waltz. "Are you out to make me laugh, or do you just enjoy bein' a cheeky devil?"

Hippo grinned. "_Bien sur, mon amie!_"

Ada laughed yet again. "English, 'Ippo!"

The marquis chuckled himself, and translated for her. "'Of course, my friend.'"

"Well, which one is it, then?"

"I like to think a little of both. I have always been a bit of a rascal, a _coquin, _as my wife was so fond of calling me. But, I have recently discovered that I love making you laugh." Hippo's eyes grew warm as he gazed at her. "In the week I have known you, the more time we have spent together, I have noticed how you glow when you smile. And when you laugh, you light up the room. _Vous __ê__tes radieux. _You are radiant."

Ada's cheeks flushed as pink as her dress. "Oh, go on with you."

"I am serious! You have the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. My dear Mrs. Harris..." The waltz came to an end, and Hippo took Ada's hands in his. "_Ta bouche est charmante._"

"English?"

"Your mouth is lovely," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. A good thing he did, for Ada had a feeling the guests would be scandalized – but, this was Paris, not London. Perhaps this would not be quite so scandalous after all.

In spite of the blush that still colored her cheeks, Ada managed to giggle, "Blimey, I'm gonna need French lessons to understand what you're sayin'."

Hippo's chocolate eyes twinkled. "Then allow me to teach you." He offered her his arm and escorted her out of the showroom, into the spacious reception hall, and set them both down on the marble staircase. "Of course, you already know _mon amie _means 'my friend.' _La femme _means 'woman.' _Belle _means 'beautiful.' So, if I were to call you _la belle femme, _I would call you a beautiful woman, which you are."

Ada covered her face with her hands, she was giggling so much. "You're flirtin' with me, you are! I'm not beautiful, 'Ippo, not even in this lovely dress. I've just cleaned up nice, is all."

Hippo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What do you mean, you're not beautiful? _Mon Dieu, _can you not see how lovely you are?"

Ada shook her head. "I'm gettin' on in years, 'Ippo. There's parts of me that ain't as young as they used to be," she said, indicating her tulle-covered arms.

"So? I'm 'getting on in years' myself, but I'm not complaining. I think of myself as a much younger man, just as I'm sure you sometimes think of yourself as a much younger woman, _non_?" When Ada blushed in response, Hippo knew he had her. "A woman ages like a fine wine, the bouquet getting sweeter and the flavor even richer with time. You, my dear Mrs. Harris, are an exquisite vintage."

_Crikey. _The man knew how to sweet-talk a lady, Ada had to give him that. She was blushing so furiously, she could feel the redness on the back of her neck. But, she had to admit that she was enjoying the attention. She hadn't been spoken to like this in years – and what would Reg think if he could see this? _He'd tell you to be happy, that's what, _a little voice in her head whispered. _Hippo makes you happy, no doubt about it. _"You old sod," she murmured, the butterflies going crazy.

Hippo's eyes crinkled with delight. "I shall take that as a compliment, Mrs..." Here he paused. "I should have asked you earlier: what is your Christian name?"

Ada smiled inwardly. _I thought he'd never ask. _"Ada. My name is Ada."

"Ada. 'Noble.' Your name suits you, _mon amie, _for you are indeed a noble woman."

A frown mark puckered Ada's forehead. "A noblewoman? No, 'Ippo, I'm no noblewoman. I'm just a charwoman in a nice dress."

Hippo gently laid his hands on her shoulders. The touch of his hands against her skin sent a shiver of pleasure through Ada's body. "You misunderstand, _mon amie. _You may not be a noblewoman by rank, but your character, _ta belle __â__me – _your beautiful soul – says you are a noble lady indeed. Look at what you've done for André and Natasha, for Madame Colbert. Look what you did for me. Your _â__me, _your soul, makes your outward beauty even lovelier." His thumb tenderly traced one of her collarbones. "Getting on? _Non. Tu es toute belle, mon amie, et il n'y a point en toi de d__é__faut._"

Ada struggled to find a response through the haze clouding her brain. His touch was so gentle, so loving, that her mind was scrambled. "In English?" was all she could muster.

Hippo's hand now cupped her cheek. "'Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.'"

A smile lit Ada's face. "That's the Song of Solomon, that is. You know your Bible."

"And my God. I give thanks that he brought you into my life, dear Ada." His eyes sparkled with mischief. "You know, King Solomon said those words to his bride... who was a poor girl by rank, but a lady with a noble and beautiful soul. She was flawless in Solomon's eyes, as you are flawless in mine."

Now Ada felt like weeping with joy. "'Ippo... you'd better get on with that French lesson before you make me cry."

"_Non. _Don't cry, Ada." Hippo took her face in both hands and kissed her cheek. "_Ma belle amie._ My beautiful friend." He kissed her other cheek. "_Tu es impeccable. _You are flawless." Pulling back, he gazed into her sapphire eyes. "_Puis-je vous embrasser_?"

Ada wished he didn't have to stop. "What does that mean?"

"May I kiss you?"

A thrill coursed through Ada's veins. He wasn't stopping, after all. A kiss, and it wasn't even midnight. A _kiss, _when she thought no other man would ever steal her heart. God really did have blessings for her still. "Yes," she whispered. Her heart thumped as Hippo leaned in, tilted her face... and caressed her lips with his.

_Oh, Lord... _Long-pent-up sensations surged forth once more, and Ada realized, with amazement, that she did indeed have feelings for this dear, good, wonderful man. _Could it be I love him? It's only been a week... but love at first sight does happen. If he's calling me flawless, beautiful, and he wants to kiss me... blimey, he must love me, too! _Embracing the joy that flooded her, Ada kissed him back with all her might. Hippo angled his head to deepen the kiss as they embraced, completely lost in each other. "'Ippo..." she breathed, when the kiss finally broke.

"_J t'aime, _Ada," he said softly, his hands rubbing her back. "_J t'aime._"

She smiled. "English?" she teased, giving his back a massage of her own.

"I love you."

Tears of joy began to flow, even as her heart soared. "I love you, too," she said, before she was once again lost in his kiss. It didn't matter that she had to return to England, to her life in service. Every Cinderella story had its midnight, when the spell was broken. But, the story didn't end there. The prince always came for Cinderella, and Ada had no doubt that one day soon, Hippo would come for her, the flawless woman he loved. Someday, the dream she wished would indeed come true. She and Hippo would live happily ever after.


End file.
